Blog 1: Play

Welcome to my first blog post! My name is Micayla and I am currently in the 5-year Art Education program at Florida State University!

For this first week of class, we learned about the art of play within the classroom. The terms "play" and "class" are typically not associated with each other by most people; school is seemingly centered solely on work and rules! Especially when one gets to a certain age, play is expected to turn into work for facilitating learning. However, play is something that you should still perpetuate! When playing in the arts, children's thinking skills develop and it contributes to problem-solving. It overall boosts student's motivation and allows them to explore a world of possibilities.

Though I recall little about my elementary school art room experience, I remember that I did very little "playing" in middle school and high school. Whether it was working with the elements of design, traditional artists, portraiture, or specific mediums, there were always rules centered around my creative exploration.

The art of playing, however, is the complete opposite of this type of closed learning. As stated by Eliza Pitri, play is spontaneous, voluntary, and its motivations are intrinsic (Pitri, 47). Also, rather than relying on the result, playing is all about process and exploration. Here, student's individualized experiences are utilized and help shape these divergent behaviors.

When artistic play is applied within an art classroom, it should be centered around freedom of choice with only the teacher as a guide. Children should not be perceived as blank slates to pack information into, but as conduits in which they are constantly building off of their previous experiences. This type of classroom attitude recognizes student's potential to make choices, communicate with peers, and receive feedback when needed.

Though it is crucial to teach students about concepts such as the elements of design, color wheels, real-world artists, and various mediums, one should try and think outside the box when coming up with lessons and assessments. Maybe you can pose a problem that students have the freedom to search for a solution. Allow children the explore the world around them! Art is, at its core, something that derives from an individual's expression and perception of the world around them. As a future teacher, I have learned that it is my job to allow students to truly experience art and not hinder them in their journey.

Citation:

Eliza Pitri (2001) The Role of Artistic Play in Problem Solving, Art Education, 54:3, 46-52